The present invention relates to a game machine and information storage medium for a multi-player type of game that a plurality of players can play.
Various game machines for a multi-player type of game have been developed and marketed in the past to enable a plurality of player to enjoy the game. With such a game machine, a player can enjoy a game of while either competing against another player or cooperating therewith, and so these games are popular with players.
With this type of game machine, it is usual to have a single-player mode for when only one player has inserted a coin, in contrast to a multi-player mode for when a plurality of players have inserted coins (or fee in the broadest sense) simultaneously. Players with better game skills play in single-player mode rather than multi-player mode. Further, the play of players in single-player mode is elaborated and also more full of strategy, whereas the play of players in multi-player mode is more clumsy. This means that, for the same amount of time that each player is engrossed in the game machine, the utilization ratio (the rate of return on the payment) of the game machine in multi-player mode is greater than that in single-player mode. In order to increase the utilization ratio of the game machine, therefore, it is desirable to devise some means of encouraging players who have selected multi-player mode to play for longer.
The present invention was devised in the light of the above described technical problem and has as an objective thereof the provision of a game machine and information storage medium that make it possible to encourage players who have selected multi-player mode to continue playing.
In order to solve the above described technical problem, an aspect of the present invention relates to a game machine for a multi-player type of game that enables a plurality of players to play, the game machine comprising: means for performing a game computation, based on operation data that a player inputs by using an operation means; means for generating at least one of a game image and a game sound in accordance with the game computation; and means for making a maximum number of game stages that can be cleared by players in a multi-player mode played by a plurality of players greater than a maximum number of game stages that can be cleared by a player in a single-player mode played by a single player.
With this aspect of the invention, the maximum number of game stages that can be cleared by a player in single-player mode is less than that in multi-player mode. It is therefore possible to prevent a situation in which a player occupies the game machine for a long time in single-player mode, which tends to happen when a player with superior game skills plays in a complicated manner. In this aspect of the invention, the maximum number of game stages that can be cleared by players is greater in multi-player mode than in single-player mode. It is therefore possible to induce players to continue playing in multi-player mode, which tends to be clumsily used by players with poorer game skills. As a result, it is possible to increase the effective utilization ratio of the game machine, as one example of the advantages thereof.
In the present invention, when game stages are divided into a plurality of groups of game stages: in single-player mode, a game may be over for a player at a point at which one group of game stages from among a plurality of groups of game stages is cleared; and in multi-player mode, a continuation privilege that may enable a continuation of play in a next group of game stages is granted to at least one player among a plurality of players, when one group of game stages from among a plurality of groups of game stages has been cleared. This configuration makes it possible to end the game when each group of game stages has been cleared in single-player mode, but enable players to continue playing the next group of game stages when in multi-player mode. It is therefore possible to implement a method that increases the maximum number of game stages in multi-player mode in comparison to single-player mode, in a simple manner.
In the present invention, the next group of game stages may have a higher degree of difficulty than the one group of game stages. This makes it possible to quickly end the playing of the next group of game stages that is granted as a continuation privilege to a player.
In the present invention, a continuation privilege that enables the continuation of play in a next group of game stages may be granted to a player who has superior game results among the plurality of players. This configuration makes it possible to prevent a situation that feels unnatural to the player.
In the present invention, the game play continuation privilege may be also granted to a player who has inferior game results among the plurality of players, with a given probability. This makes it possible to prevent a situation in which players with inferior game results lose the desire to play.
In the present invention, a continuation privilege that enables the continuation of play in the next group of game stages may be granted to at least one player among a plurality of players, a continuation privilege that enables the continuation of play in the next group of game stages is not granted to another player, and game play is allowed to continue for the other player on condition that a fee is paid. This configuration enables other players to expect to continue playing the next group of game stages, on the payment of a fee. As a result, it is possible to cancel any drop in the utilization ratio of a game machine in which continuation privileges are granted, by allowing players who have not been granted this continuation privilege to pay a fee.
In the present invention, an encouragement screen may be displayed to the other player who has not been granted the continuation privilege that enables the continuation of play in the next group of game stages, to induce a payment of a fee. This makes it possible to induce a player who has not been granted the continuation privilege to continue playing, increasing the possibility that large numbers of players will play again.